The Joint CAD/PAD Program: transition to Joint Program building trust, achieving economies of scale - Energetics & Program Management

Program Manager, Sept-Oct, 2002 by Dennis Chappell, Tony Taylor

In a previous edition of this publication (May-June 1999), the authors described a unique management experiment--a Joint Program to manage the sustainment of Cartridge Actuated Devices (CADs) and Propellant Actuated Devices (PADs). The purpose of this article is to answer the question, "How has the Joint Program worked out since stand-up in April 1998?"

What are CADs/PADs?

Cartridge Actuated Devices (CADs) and Propellant Actuated Devices (PADs) are commodity items that function as a system component. In operation, they release precise explosive or propellant energy to perform controlled work functions in a variety of applications, including aircrew escape, fire suppression, and stores/emergency release systems.

They generally contain an energetic material along with a mechanical or electronic actuating component. About 3,100 different configurations are now in use by all Services. Many of these are man-rated, requiring a high degree of reliability

Some CADs and PADs are expended in normal operations, such as those used for stores release; others are used only in emergencies. All have a defined shelf/service life and must be replaced periodically. CADs and PADs that are needed for safety of flight can cause the grounding of aircraft if they are defective or past their defined shelf/service life.

Life Cycle Management Responsibilities

CADs and PADs are normally developed as a component of a weapon or life support system. Responsibility for initial development rests with the acquisition program manager. For example, the 112 CADs and PADs in the B-2 and the 222 CADs and PADs in the F-14 were developed along with other systems in the aircraft. In keeping with the cradle-to-grave concept, when a system is fielded overall responsibility for sustainment activities, including disposal when necessary remains with the program manager. However, day-to-day responsibility for sustainment of CADs and PADs has been delegated within each Service to achieve economies of scale.

Navy

For CADs and PADs in Navy systems, the delegation is to the Conventional Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA 201), which reports to the Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs. Execution of the Navy's sustainment program is accomplished by the Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center. The size of the Navy program is about $40 million annually

Air Force

Responsibility for sustainment of Air Force CADs and PADs was formerly delegated to a unit under the Air-to-Surface Product Group Manager (PGM) at the Ogden Air Logistics Center (ALC), who reports programmatically to the Annament Product Group Manager (APGM) at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The size of the Air Force program is about $45 million annually.

Army

Responsibility for Army CAD/PAD has been consolidated within the Navy for many years.

Building the Trust

The program was born when visionary managers in the Air Force and Navy saw the greater value of consolidating their previously separate activities and began building the trust needed to overcome the risks of doing business in a new way. The key organizing principles of the joint program are:

* operation as a joint integrated product team/competency aligned organization with the Service affiliation of team members transparent to users;

* assumption of responsibility by the Navy, as lead Service, for an important factor (the escape system) in the operational readiness of aircraft in all Services;

* employment of jointness in the sustainment phase of the life cycle, rather than the more traditional development phase;

* use of best practices and continuous improvement in consolidating sustainment activities while remaining responsive to customer needs;

* management of a commodity, rather than a weapon system; and

* creation as an initiative from the working level, rather than a directive from the top.

In the four years since stand-up, the Joint CAD/PAD Program has moved steadily toward merging Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps management practices. Along the way the program achieved several noteworthy successes.

Packard Award

In September 2001, the Joint Program received the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award, given for great innovation and results in acquisition and logistics reform. The Award recognizes the Program's reengineering of the process for re-supplying CADs and PADs to Navy/Marine Corps users in the field. The old process was both labor- and paper-intensive, requiring up to four months from order to delivery Making matters worse, requisitions often simply got lost in the supply system. CADs and PADs were perceived as hard to get and squadrons stockpiled the items as a hedge, leading to shortages elsewhere.

The reengineering team developed a 1877 phone system that maintenance personnel use to order directly from the stock point at Indian Head, Md.--a common practice in the commercial world. The telephone operator is able to validate need in real time using computerized maintenance records, and automatically create the supply requisitions. Shipments are accomplished, in most cases, by overnight commercial carrier, allowing automated tracking. Actions by intermediate personnel have been greatly reduced and the average cycle time is down to eight days. The team has since Web-enabled the process, eliminating the need for the phone call and making customer service available 24/7. The new system is under consideration for application in the Air Force.